Retired Rider enjoying the home life

Retired Rider enjoying the home life

In previous years, Eddie Davis would be getting ready for training camp at this point of a CFL off-season.

This year, he’s getting ready for summer.

The 37-year-old Davis, who announced his retirement from the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Feb. 25, said Monday he hasn’t felt the urge to return to the game — even though CFL training camps open in less than three weeks.

“This past weekend, I did Henry Burris’ All-Star Weekend and that was the first time this off-season that I had any thought or inkling about football,” Davis said from his home in Calgary, the city in which Burris held his camp.

“Being around the guys, seeing Gizmo (Williams), seeing Narco (Don Narcisse), seeing D.D. (Darian Durant), Hank and all those guys made me feel like, ‘OK, it’s time to go play football again.’ But this is it, man. I’m done.”

For sure?

“I actually had Hank and a couple of Stamps guys try to convince me to come play for them,” Davis, who became a free agent Feb. 15, continued with a chuckle. “That’s like blasphemy. That’ll never happen.

“I’m done with football.”

Davis played defensive back for 15 CFL seasons, including the past nine with the Roughriders. Having announced his retirement, the product of St. Louis didn’t work out this off-season like he did during previous off-seasons.

Asked what he has been doing instead of preparing for another CFL season, Davis replied: “Honestly? Nothing.

“I’ve been doing home stuff,” he added. “I’ve been out in the garden, I’ve been hanging out with my kids (six-year-old Imani and one-year-old Eddie III), riding bikes to stay in shape — just hanging out, enjoying life …

“Even if I just sit in my backyard and lay down in the grass in the sun with my kids, I enjoy that.”

Shortly after Davis’ announcement, Roughriders defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry told reporters he was sad to see Davis go because the veteran DB was still playing at a high level. Etcheverry said he also tried to talk Davis out of retiring.

“He told me to stay in shape, just in case,” Davis said. “I’ll stay in pretty good shape, but I can’t see myself playing again. I did it for 15 years and I enjoyed myself during the time that I played, but you can’t do it forever. It’s time to move on right now.”

Having said that, Davis admitted he may have some twinges during the 2010 season. He knows he’ll have to address those when the time comes.

“Once I see some games on TV, it’ll really hit me then,” he said. “Maybe when the Riders come here to play, if I go down to the game and see the guys, I may get that itch to want to go suit up at halftime and come out and play for the guys then.

“But right now, I’m done. I’m enjoying my life and I’m going to have a summer to myself for the first time in 20 years.”